Reflector
by Latona Enelra Caine
Summary: Red begins to distance himself from Liz and Agnes as they reach the end of The Blacklist.
1. Chapter 1

**_Baby every dog on this street_**

 ** _Knows that we're in love with defeat_**

 ** _Are we ready to be swept off our feet_**

 ** _And stop waiting_**

 ** _For every breaking wave_**

The cases gradually begin to lessen. And so do their sporadic meetings. She doesn't see him that much. He no longer calls or visits. It's as if he's weaning her of his presence in their lives.

And she finds herself realizing; that that's the very last thing she could ever want.

For all of her raging and screaming and fickle attitude towards him, at the end of the day, Liz had to admit the fact that she'd long ago fallen in love with the Concierge of Crime. It wasn't when he'd given her that dark smile with those intense blue eyes the first time they'd met at the Post Office. Or when she had that stupid dream about him. No, it had happened when he had gotten to his knees in front of her, placing a gun in her hands for her to point at him. Surrendering himself, willingly, body and soul to her. Vowing to go to the ends of the earth, even watch it burn, if it meant that it would keep her alive.

Tom, Jacob, whatever his name was, is gone. Six years ago come this December, and Liz never heard from him again. Red was there to see to it that Agnes had a father figure in his absence. Liz was hesitant about allowing Red to come into Agnes life. Why allow a renowned criminal to help raise her only daughter? He'd killed countless people, toppled whole governments, he'd even turned his back on his own family on that cold Christmas Day. Who was to say that he wouldn't do the exact same thing to them if she allowed herself and her daughter to become even more dependent on Raymond Reddington.

The Concierge of Crime. . .

That was a title that no longer mattered. The Concierge of Crime had seized to exist the minute he'd uttered her name while kneeling on a tiled floor with a gun to the back of his head. She'd heard him.

But now, he was pushing himself away from her and Agnes.

And Liz for the life of her, could not see why he'd do something like that after relentlessly trying to insert himself into her life

 **AN: Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I'll be trying** to **keep each chapter in Drabble format.**

 _ **If you go**_  
I _ **f you go your way and I go mine**_  
 _ **Are we so**_  
 _ **Are we so helpless against the tide**_

"Mommy, when is Red coming?"

Liz looked down at Agnes from where she sat at the kitchen island. She lifted her up and set her down on her lap.

"I'm not sure sweetheart, why?"

"I miss him. And I wanted to show him the new trick I showed Hawke," she said motioning towards the small cocker spaniel Red had given her for her fifth birthday.

"Well, maybe we can try giving him a call, invite him for lunch or something. Then you can shown him then, yeah?"

Agnes smiled brightly and nodded.

"Okay then pumpkin, go play with Hawke in the living room while I make plans with him. We can go out for ice cream later."

"Okay!" Agnes slipped off Liz's lap and skipped away in excitement.

Truth be told, Liz had been waiting for an excuse to invite Red over for quite some time, and this seemed to be the perfect one. He would never deny Agnes a visit, she had him wrapped around her pinky finger. She sat at the island for a moment longer before getting up and making her way to the phone in the entryway of the apartment.

She picked it up and dialed his cell number. She held her breath.

"Hello Elizabeth," said Dembe.

"Dembe, hey, I was hoping I could speak to Red."

"Of course, give me a moment. He's in his workshop."

"Thanks."

She fiddled with the cord for a minute before he spoke.

"Lizzy," his deep voice sent a shiver down her spine.

"Red, I was wondering if you have any plans this afternoon," she asked. The hope in the pit of her stomach made her heart pound.

"I might, I have an appointment with Marvin later on today. I'm settling some affairs, but why, did you need something?"

"No, no, it's just that we haven't seen you in so long, and Agnes wanted to see you, she misses you. . . we both do," Liz bit her lip.

"I can stop by, what time would be best?"

"Well, I was thinking you could come for lunch, maybe we can walk to the corner to that little Italian restaurant you like."

"That sounds like an excellent plan, does 2:30 sound like a reasonable time to arrive?"

"Yeah, that's fine, we'll see you then," Liz grinned.

"I can't wait, see you then Lizzy."

"Alright, bye."

"Goodbye."

Liz hung up the receiver and did a slight fist pump.

"Agnes, honey?" She called out to tell her the news.


	3. Chapter 3

_**I f**_ ** _ade_** _ **from the light**_

 _ **Your glory was lost that night**_

 _ **And no mind can't get me right**_

 _ **And now I'm praying that you'll find me out**_

 _ **Stone, stone has pulled me**_ _ **down**_

 _ **But my faith has got me bound to your grey blue eyes**_

"Raymond!"

Agnes squealed in delight, running past Liz and into the waiting arms of Red who had yet to step into the apartment still.

"Aggie! How are you my sweet? Oh!"

Red grunted as he swung her into the air, spinning around. He chuckled as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "How are you my darling?"

"Good! We missed you! Right mommy?"

Liz smiled and raised her brows. "We sure did," she stepped aside allowing Red to carry Agnes inside.

"Oh, my dears, I've missed you as well. I'm sorry. I stayed away far too long, but circumstances prevented me from coming to visit," he explained as he set Agnes down on the kitchen counter. "But, I'vecome bearing gifts to make up for it!"

Agnes swung her legs happily. "Yay!"

"Ok then, close your eyes!"

Agnes took a deep breath and obeyed.

Took Liz's slight horror, he pulled a bar of chocolate the length of Agnes whole arm from his coat out, took her tiny hand and set it down on it.

"Open them."

Agnes gasped. "Wow! It's ginormous!"

"All the way from Italy, especially for you!"

"How very nice of you Red, I'm sure she can't wait to eat it all," Liz said with a strained smile, giving him a pointed look.

Red chuckled lightly.

"And for you," Red pulled a small velvet rectangular box as well. "From Paris," he added in his low baritone.

Liz took it with trepidation and opened it. Inside was a beautiful opaque bracelet with delicate gold clasps at the ends.

"Oh Red, it's beautiful," she smiled at him. "Thank you."

Red nodded.

Liz kissed him lightly on the cheek. Red reached up and brushed his fingers against his cheek, before clearing his throat and turning away. He pulled his hat off and set it on the counter next to Agnes.

"So, how have you been?" He asked Agnes.

Agnes nodded. "Good. I taught Hawke a new trick today!"

"You did? Let's see it then!" Red set her down and she made a beeline for her room in search of the dog, leaving Liz and Red alone.

"She was excited to show you," Liz told him as they watched her leave.

Red smiled. "All children are when it comes to their dogs," he chuckled and shook his head before turning to her again. "How are you Lizzy?"

Liz walked to the kitchen, grabbing two wine glasses and pouring the white wine he'd brought her from Belgium last year.

"We're alright. . ." She shrugged. "We spend most days at the park, Mrs. Cooper watches her until I get back from the Post Office. I've been able to spend more time with her since our caseload has been lessening."

Red nodded. "That's actually something I've been wanting to speak to you about."

"The caseload?"

Red tilted his head to the side. "Yes."

"What about it?"

"We've reached the end of it," Red said. He averted his gaze from hers, biting the corner of his lip.

"End of what?"

"All of it. The Blacklist. We've reached the end, caught them all."

Liz stared at him, slack jawed until Agnes burst back into the kitchen with Hawke on her heels.


	4. Chapter 4

**My hands are tied**

 **My body bruised, she's got me with**

 **Nothing to win and**

 **Nothing left to lose**

After lunch, Red and Liz walked Agnes to the park. Red thought it best to speak with Liz there while the little girl was was distracted on the playground with the other children.

They sat on a bench together, beneath the shade of a cove of trees.

Liz had an odd sense of deja vu. Had it really been ten years since they'd sat on this very bench together, exchanging information about another Blacklister?

"I never thought we'd come to this point," said Red. "For years, decades even. . . I dreamt that I would reach a point where I could walk freely through a crowd, without feeling death steadily creeping over my shoulder. Breathing down my neck. But now that I've come to that point, I find that I'm not sure what to do with myself."

Liz felt her eyes glisten with tears. Was he trying to say goodbye? Is that what this was?

Despite her better judgment, she asked the question that she knew would tear her soul apart.

"Will you be leaving?"

He said nothing for a long stretch of time. Almost as if he was afraid to say the words out loud.

And then, with a slight huff, he grit his teeth and says, "Yes."

He looks as if its physically hurting him to tell her this. And maybe it is.

Liz tears her gaze away from his face to lol at Agnes who is happily swinging on the swing set with her new friend.

"When?" She asks without looking away from her little girl. . . soon to be the only person she'll have here in Washington. She'll be all alone once he's gone.

Just her and Agnes.

"Two weeks."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _ **You know my soul**_

 _ **Cries for you so badly**_

 _ **You are the only one**_  
 _ **That can ever set me free**_

Two weeks. Fourteen days and he'd be gone for good. Possibly forever; one could never know with Raymond **Reddington.**

Liz had always believed that she knew Red better than anyone in the world. He made her feel as if she did. As if she and Agnes were in fact, the center of his world.

But if he was leaving in two weeks, then what did this say about the past nine years? That she didn't know him as well as he had led her to believe? Had she ever known him to begin with?

Liz sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. She had not slept the night before, and had tossed and turned ruminating over his words at the park.

" _I think it best if I simply leave the country. God knows I'm more trouble here than anywhere else," he shook his head._

 _"But where will you go?" Liz had asked him._

 _"I'm not sure. Perhaps Italy. And France after a few months. Paris is the most magical place on earth during the Spring. You wouldn't believe what astonishing views I've managed to see while there," Red cocked his head to the side, recalling some distant memory from another life._

 _"It's an amazing place," he murmured._

 _"It sounds lovely."_

How would she manage without him? He'd been the one constant in her life since splitting up with Tom, and now he was going to leave her too. But why? She had always assumed that his love for her would keep him from ever going away. He had never said the words aloud.

Liz knew that behind that mask he wore, he had always held a deep, devout love for her.

She glanced at the velvet box he had given her the day before, sitting daintily on her nightstand.

Light creeped in through the white curtains. It was a beautiful day out.

Yet Liz couldn't help but feel as if some deep part of her was slowly dying.

 **A/N: Thanks for all the kind reviews! Happy Easter!**


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